Short Biography:
I was born and raised in Midland, Texas. My mother was Frances Williams, the pioneer birdwatcher of the region. She wrote the chapter on the Cassin?s Sparrow for Arthur Bent?s Life History of American Birds, and was a founding member of the Texas Ornithological Society and its Bird Records Committee. She also edited the Phalarope, a local naturalist newsletter for 40 years. She was also the regional editor for American Birds. I was her bird dog and developed in interest in the wildflowers of the region. I published my first article in the Phalarope at age 10. In 1980 I built a nature trail for the city of Midland, and later cofounded the Sibley Nature Center in 1987, where I served first as education director, then as executive director. In 1999 I began writing for the Midland Reporter Telegram and have had a monthly column ever since. In 2006 we created www.sibleynaturecenter.org, where my essays are available. We also have created over 100 photoessays of the region on the website, too.

Photo caption: Burr Williams receives the 2005 National DAR Conservation Medal in recognition of Outstanding Achievement for Environmental Awareness. The award was presented by the Colonel Theunis Dey Chapter of the National Society, Daughters of the American Revolution.

Critical Description of Work:
I am a bioregionalist. My board, staff, and I find it appalling that there is no bioregional education. People should know about their own home ? not only the ecological framework, but also the stories of the people that have used the landscape.